Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-09
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Write about the following topic:
In many countries, family members work together in their family business.
Do you think family businesses have more advantages than disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 7.0)
Depending on the culture and country, it is often observed that family members work together in their family business. While there are some advantages to this, in my opinion, there are more disadvantages to having all family members work in the same business.
One of the main disadvantages is that it can create trust issues in the future. When there are different generations of individuals in the same business, there might be different thought processes about how to run the business. Since all the members are family members, it can be difficult to introduce new ideas due to ageism or domination by different family members. Additionally, if there is any mismanagement of money, it may cause trust issues among family members.
Some family businesses may require specialized education. For instance, if the head of a family owns a hospital and is a doctor, it can create peer pressure for an individual to study medicine or become a doctor against his or her wishes. This may cause an individual to experience some level of depression, or they may become unsatisfied with their job.
On the other hand, there might be some advantages. Due to an established business, an individual does not have to establish new clientele or create business value from scratch. It gives an individual a head start if he or she wishes to expand the business. However, if the expansion fails, it may cause arguments within the family.
In conclusion, there may be advantages to working in a family business, but I believe it comes with more disadvantages. The main concerns are trust issues, family pressure, and the inability of individuals to prove their talents and explore new opportunities in the future.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that family businesses have more disadvantages than advantages. The ideas are relevant, such as the potential for trust issues and the pressure to follow family career paths. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the point about 'ageism' is mentioned but not fully explained or exemplified. While the position is consistent, the arguments could be more deeply explored to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, ensuring the response remains focused on the prompt throughout.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as trust issues, professional pressure, and the benefits of an established business. Cohesive devices like 'Additionally', 'For instance', and 'On the other hand' are used to link ideas effectively. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, although the transition between the advantages and the conclusion could be slightly smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the clarity of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. The student uses terms like 'mismanagement', 'specialized education', and 'clientele' correctly. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some phrasing is slightly repetitive (e.g., 'family members' is used frequently). The range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and errors are rare and do not interfere with meaning. For example, the use of conditional structures ('if the expansion fails, it may cause...') is handled well. While the range of structures is functional, it could be more varied to demonstrate greater flexibility. Punctuation is generally correct, and the overall control of grammar is consistent throughout the piece.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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